PLANNING AND USING THE DISTRIBUTED CACHE SERVICE

ABOUT THE DISTRIBUTED CACHE SERVICE ABOUT CACHE HOSTS AND CLUSTERS MAINTAINING THE DISTRIBUTED CACHE
Administrators might need to perform required maintenance and operational tasks to manage their SharePoint Server 2013 deployment. The following flowcharts describe
The Distributed Cache service provides in-memory caching services to several features in SharePoint Server 2013. Some of the features that A cache host is any server in the server farm that runs the Distributed Cache service. A cache cluster exists when one or more servers in the
how to perform some of these maintenance activities as it relates to maintaining the Distributed Cache service.
use the Distributed Cache service include: farm run the Distributed Cache service.

· Newsfeeds
The total cache size for the server farm is the sum of each cache host’s memory allocation for the cache size. The cache cluster’s cache
spans all cache hosts and saves data on each cache host. Data is not duplicated or copied on other cache hosts in the cache cluster. A INCREASING AVAILABLE RESOURCES FOR THE DISTRIBUTED CACHE SERVICE
· Authentication cache cluster cannot be configured for High Availability. As your SharePoint Server 2013 farm grows, you might need to increase the resources that are available to the Distributed Cache service by adding another cache
host to the cache cluster. You can do this by either adding a new server to the farm (and the cache cluster), or changing a non-cache host to a cache host. After the
· OneNote client access
Cache Host A Cache Host B Server Farm
new cache host is added, SharePoint Server will start using and populating the Distributed Cache service with data on the newly added cache host automatically.
· Security Trimming This may be a gradual process.
+ =
· Page load performance ADDING A NEW SERVER TO THE FARM AND THE CACHE CLUSTER CHANGING A NON-CACHE HOST TO A CACHE HOST
Use this procedure if you are adding a new server to the farm, and using it Use this procedure if the server you want to use as a cache host is
Cache Host Cache Host Cache cluster’s already joined to your server farm.
These features use the Distributed Cache for quick data retrieval. The Distributed Cache service stores data in memory and does not have a cache size for the
as a cache host
A’s cache B’s cache
dependency on databases in SharePoint Server 2013. However, some SharePoint features may store data in both the Distributed Cache and size = 8GB size = 8GB entire farm =
databases. 16GB Start
Start
This model describes the planning process, installation steps, and configuration tasks to perform and to implement the Distributed Cache
service in your SharePoint Server 2013 farm. You must do this to ensure that the Distributed Cache service is healthy and supports dependent Cache Host Management
6
services as required. Use this model together with other TechNet content to plan and implement your deployment of the Distributed Cache When the Distributed Cache service runs on a server together with other services and the server’s memory resources near 95% Run the
service. utilization, the Distributed Cache will start throttling requests. This means that the Distributed Cache service will no longer accept read or Are you using No
Download and install the Add-SPDistributedCacheServiceInstance
write requests until the server utilization reduces to approximately 70% utilization. the pre- Install Windows AppFabric package cmdlet on the cache host being added
Other Caches which do not use the Distributed Cache service requisite pre-requisites on the new server. Use the
Consider the following best practices to manage the Distributed Cache service: recommended cache roles
installer?
· Blob Cache. The Blob Cache is a disk-based cache that caches files such as images, JavaScript files, and so on. This cache exists · Do not run the following services on the same server running the Distributed Cache service: SQL Server, Project Server, Excel and the /gac switch
on each Web Front End server in the farm. Services and Search services. Perform post reconfiguration checks
Yes
· Review SharePoint Server 2013's Health Rules for Distributed Cache service issues
· Output cache. The Output Cache is an ASP.NET feature that provides caching functionality. The Output Cache is used to store Install
frequently-accessed pages as a means of increasing the throughput of the system. On every Web Front End server in the farm, the · Change a non-cache host to a cache host, or a cache host to a non-cache host remaining
Output Cache stores the rendered output of an .aspx web page. pre-requisites
· Add a new server to the cache cluster
Stop
Installation of all pre-
requisites are complete.

PLANNING FOR THE DISTRIBUTED CACHE SERVICE INSTALLING AND CONFIGURING THE DISTRIBUTED CACHE
Use the SharePoint Products
Planning for the Distributed Cache service helps ensure that the Distributed Cache service remains healthy, and reduces potential issues
on dependent services. When planning for the Distributed Cache service, you should: SERVICE Install SharePoint Server
2013
Configuration Wizard to add the new
server to the farm
· Perform capacity planning. When performing capacity planning, you will consider your workload and amount of usage to develop the When installing and configuring SharePoint Server 2013, an administrator must perform certain steps to ensure the Distributed Cache service
capacity recommendations in terms of number of servers, memory requirements, and topology. is installed and configured correctly.
· Use the capacity planning results to plan which memory configuration works best for your server farm.
INSTALLATION STEPS FOR THE DISTRIBUTED CACHE SERVICE Perform post reconfiguration checks
When installing SharePoint Server 2013, include the steps in this procedure in your overall installation plan.

Start
Legend Stop
Start
Legend
5 For more information on
pre-requisites, see 6 For more information on pre-requisites, see
5
http://go.microsoft.com/ http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=269625
Download and install the fwlink/p/?LinkId=269625
1 Are you using No Windows AppFabric package
the Install
Output = number of on all servers. Use the
Review the pre-requisite pre-requisites
recommended cache roles
Step 1: Perform servers, memory CHANGING A CACHE HOST TO A NON-CACHE HOST
capacity planning installer? and the /gac switch
capacity planning requirements, and
guidance Use this procedure if you want to change a cache host into a non-cache host.
topology Yes

Run the
Installation of all pre-
Install remaining pre-requisites Remove-SPDistributedCacheServiceInstance Perform post
requisites are complete. Start Stop
cmdlet on the cache host you are changing to a reconfiguration checks
non-cache host

Install SharePoint Server

2013
2 3
Ensure all servers
Step 2: Plan your When using REPAIRING A CACHE HOST
running the Distributed If server has >= 320
Memory usage Virtualization, do
Cache service has the GB of memory, plan Run the Distributed Yes (default) Use the SharePoint Products Configuration Wizard, During installation, configuration, or maintenance activities, the Distributed Cache service may enter a non-functioning state. Evidence of a malfunctioning
and not use dynamic Distributed Cache service will appear in Health Rules in Central Administration or when users use features in SharePoint Server 2013 that rely on the Distributed
same amount of to reconfigure the Cache on all servers psconfig.exe or PowerShell cmdlets without the
configurations memory in the farm? /skipRegisterAsDistributedCachehost parameter Cache. For example, the Newsfeed on a user’s My Site will start reporting errors. Use the following procedure to restore a non-functioning Distributed Cache
memory memory
host.
No
Run Add-
Note the GUID from the ID
Run Get-SPServiceInstance SPDistributedCacheServiceInstance to
The memory allocation for the Distributed property of the Distributed Run the PowerShell code
Start to list all services for all reinstall and start the Distributed Cache Stop
Output = memory Use PSConfig.exe or PowerShell cmdlets Use PSConfig.exe or PowerShell cmdlets
servers in the server farm
Cache service on the server below B service on the cache host you are
Cache service’s cache size must be less with the without the you are repairing.
related tasks to A
repairing.
than or equal to 16GB on each host, and /skipRegisterAsDistributedCachehost flag /skipRegisterAsDistributedCachehost
include in overall on all servers that are not cache hosts. flag on all servers which are cache hosts.
the memory allocation of the cache size
plan
must be less than or equal to 40% of the Legend
total memory on the server. 4
A The Get-SPServiceInstance cmdlet lists all services on all
servers in the server farm. Ensure you note the correct GUID
Perform post reconfiguration from the server you are trying to repair.
checks
B
$s = get-spserviceinstance GUID
$s.delete()
where GUID is the GUID of the Distributed Cache service running
Proceed to install on the server being repaired.

Continue with the

SharePoint Server Stop
Legend 2013 configuration
RECONFIGURING THE MEMORY ALLOCATION
1 For more information on Capacity Planning Guidance, see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=269567 Use this procedure to adjust the cache size of the Distributed Cache service. Use this procedure during initial configuration of the Distributed Cache service, when
changes are made to the total memory on the server, or when a new cache host is added to the server farm. Note: A default of 10% of total memory is assigned to
2 All servers running the Distributed Cache service must match exactly in terms of total memory specifications on all servers POST RECONFIGURATION CHECKS the Distributed Cache service at installation time. You may want to increase this memory allocation depending on your requirements.
in the cache cluster.
When reconfiguring the Distributed Cache service, perform this procedure to ensure the Distributed Cache service is available.
3 During installation, 5% of server memory is automatically allocated to the Distributed Cache service’s cache size. The
maximum amount of memory that can be allocated to the Distributed Cache service’s cache size is 16GB per cache host in Stop the Distributed Restart the Distributed Cache
the server farm. When installing the Distributed Cache service on a server with 320GB of memory, the default memory Cache service on all cache Run the Update- service on all cache hosts
On
On all
all non-cache
non-cache
assignment for the Distributed Cache service’s cache size is automatically set to 16GB. For servers with > 320GB of memory, On
On the
the Services
Services on
on Start hosts from the Services SPDistributedCacheSize cmdlet on from the Services on Server Stop
hosts,
hosts, isis the
the
you must plan to reconfigure the memory allocation of the Distributed Cache service’s cache size. Server
Server page
page in
in Central
Central No on Server page in Central any cache host page in Central
Yes
Yes Distributed
Distributed Cache
Cache No
Administration,
Administration, is is the
the Administration Administration
Start service
service listed
listed onon the
the Stop
Distributed
Distributed Cache
Cache Services
Services onon Server
Server
4 If an administrator allocates more than 16GB of memory to the Distributed Cache service’s cache size, the server may service
service started
started on
on all
all page
page inin Central
Central
unexpectedly stop responding for more than 10 seconds. The recommended minimum total physical memory on the server cache hosts?
cache hosts? Administration?
Administration?
that runs the Distributed Cache service is 8GB (this is different from the cache size). If you are using a cache cluster with
more than 1 cache host, ensure the memory allocation for the Distributed Cache service's cache size on each cache host is
set to the same value.
Yes
Yes
No
No

Repair the cache

Stop
host

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